Steps

1

Sign up with an ISP (internet service provider). Yahoo SBC, AOL, MSN are examples of some of the big ones (AOL is not preferred).

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2

Decide if you want DSL (broadband) or dial-up (narrowband). The difference, you ask? Well, broadband is faster. Much much faster. It is a bit more expensive, but if you want torrents, audio, video then honestly worth it.

3

Get the proper hardware. For dial-up, you need a modem and a regular phone cord. This plugs into your computer then the phone jack in the wall. (If your computer was made in the past 10 years, chances are you have a modem). For DSL, you need an ethernet cord (this plugs into the router and the computer. It looks like a fat phone cord). You need a router, generally gotten through your ISP and the power cord this takes. You need to then plug all this into the wall with a cord and a little piece that separates the phone from the DSL (this is generally also given through your ISP).

4

DSL directly connects you. Dial-up is a little trickier. Go to your start menu ---> Control Panel ---> network connections ---> Create a new connection. Now you need a user name, password and phone number that your ISP should have given you. Fill in the form and click add desktop icon.

5

Choose an Internet Browser (the window you view the internet on). Internet Explorer is commonly on computers, but Mozilla Firefox is a much better choice. You are far less likely to get viruses and pop-ups using Firefox.

Double click on your browser. A page will come up. If you do not want this as your homepage, click tools (up top by file edit etc..) ---> internet options. At the top it says homepage. Put in what you want. If you don't have a homepage you want, www.google.com is a good one. This is a springboard to everywhere else online. You can customise it now, too. Your email (hotmail, AOL email, yahoo, msn.com are all good choices, too).

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Please be as detailed as possible in your explanation. We will take your detailed information, edit it for clarity and accuracy, and incorporate it into an article that will help thousands of people.Don't say: Eat more fats.Do say: Add fats with some nutritional value to the foods you already eat. Try olive oil, butter, avocado, and mayonnaise.

Tips

Have good antivirus software and firewall. AVG is a free antivirus that is good. Norton's is about $50 but good. Zonealarm basic is a good free firewall- pro is pricey but worth it.

Consider Instant Messaging (IM) with Pidgin, MirandaIM, Meebo, MSN, AIM, Y! or Google. This is free and lets you talk to friends. Google Talk even lets you talk on a microphone to people with very good quality as an alternative to costly phone bills.

Adaware is a good free spyware remover (this is a program that removes all the junk websites (esp porn) adds on your computer to monitor you.

Run scans for viruses at least once a week. The internet is fun but carries bad things and there are bad people out there.

Netnanny keeps kids out of things they shouldn't be in. Use it. No 10 year old needs to be seeing porn.

Warnings

If you see something flashing that says you have won something, or you are the 100 millionth visitor or something similar, please don't play or click it. It is not a good thing. It is a scam and hurts your computer.

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